diff --git a/backend/tests/test_openclaw_skill_env.py b/backend/tests/test_openclaw_skill_env.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9318c44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/test_openclaw_skill_env.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+"""Regression coverage for OpenClaw skill HMAC environment names."""
+
+import importlib.util
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def _load_sb_query(monkeypatch):
+    module_path = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2] / "openclaw-skills" / "shadowbroker" / "sb_query.py"
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("shadowbroker_skill_sb_query_test", module_path)
+    assert spec and spec.loader
+    module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    spec.loader.exec_module(module)
+    return module
+
+
+def test_openclaw_skill_prefers_hmac_secret_env(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET", "preferred-hmac-secret")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("SHADOWBROKER_KEY", "legacy-hmac-secret")
+
+    module = _load_sb_query(monkeypatch)
+
+    assert module.ShadowBrokerClient()._hmac_secret == "preferred-hmac-secret"
+
+
+def test_openclaw_skill_accepts_legacy_key_as_hmac_secret_alias(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.delenv("SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("SHADOWBROKER_KEY", "legacy-hmac-secret")
+
+    module = _load_sb_query(monkeypatch)
+    client = module.ShadowBrokerClient()
+    headers = client._sign_headers("GET", "/api/ai/tools")
+
+    assert client._hmac_secret == "legacy-hmac-secret"
+    assert "X-SB-Timestamp" in headers
+    assert "X-SB-Nonce" in headers
+    assert "X-SB-Signature" in headers
+    assert "Authorization" not in headers
+    assert "X-Admin-Key" not in headers
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/AIIntelPanel.tsx b/frontend/src/components/AIIntelPanel.tsx
index 14541ed..b1dc3df 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/AIIntelPanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/AIIntelPanel.tsx
@@ -632,10 +632,18 @@ function ConnectModalBody({ apiEndpoint, handleCopy, copied }: ConnectModalBodyP
   const buildSnippet = (key: string) => {
     const lines: string[] = [];
     if (resolvedUrl) lines.push(`SHADOWBROKER_URL=${resolvedUrl}`);
-    lines.push(`SHADOWBROKER_KEY=${key}`);
+    lines.push(`SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET=${key}`);
     lines.push(`SHADOWBROKER_ACCESS=${accessTier}`);
     if (connectionMode === 'remote' && nodeId) lines.push(`SHADOWBROKER_NODE_ID=${nodeId}`);
     lines.push('');
+    lines.push('# AUTH DIRECTIVE:');
+    lines.push('# SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET is a shared HMAC signing secret, not a raw API key.');
+    lines.push('# Never send it as X-Admin-Key, Authorization: Bearer, a query parameter, or a plain request header.');
+    lines.push('# Every direct ShadowBroker API request must be HMAC-SHA256 signed with:');
+    lines.push('#   X-SB-Timestamp, X-SB-Nonce, X-SB-Signature');
+    lines.push('# Signature input: METHOD|path|timestamp|nonce|sha256(body)');
+    lines.push('# Use the ShadowBrokerClient/openclaw skill helper so requests are signed automatically.');
+    lines.push('');
     lines.push('# OPERATING DIRECTIVE:');
     lines.push('# You are a remote OpenClaw agent connected to ShadowBroker.');
     lines.push('# ShadowBroker is a live intelligence and telemetry platform, not a narrow single-purpose API.');
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/OnboardingModal.tsx b/frontend/src/components/OnboardingModal.tsx
index 7c3d49a..fe5633f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/OnboardingModal.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/OnboardingModal.tsx
@@ -129,13 +129,16 @@ const OnboardingModal = React.memo(function OnboardingModal({
 
   const agentSnippet = [
     `SHADOWBROKER_URL=${agentEndpoint}`,
-    agentSecret ? `SHADOWBROKER_KEY=${agentSecret}` : 'SHADOWBROKER_KEY=<generate in ShadowBroker>',
+    agentSecret ? `SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET=${agentSecret}` : 'SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET=<generate in ShadowBroker>',
     `SHADOWBROKER_ACCESS=${agentTier}`,
     '',
     '# FIRST: load available tools',
     `GET ${agentEndpoint}/api/ai/tools`,
     '',
-    '# Auth: HMAC-SHA256 signed requests.',
+    '# Auth: SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET is not a raw API key.',
+    '# Sign every direct request with X-SB-Timestamp, X-SB-Nonce, and X-SB-Signature.',
+    '# Signature input: METHOD|path|timestamp|nonce|sha256(body).',
+    '# Do not send the secret as X-Admin-Key, Authorization, or a query parameter.',
     '# Restricted = read-only telemetry. Full = can write when asked.',
   ].join('\n');
   const remoteAgentNeedsTor = agentMode === 'remote' && !torAddress;
diff --git a/openclaw-skills/shadowbroker/SKILL.md b/openclaw-skills/shadowbroker/SKILL.md
index 531735c..cadd114 100644
--- a/openclaw-skills/shadowbroker/SKILL.md
+++ b/openclaw-skills/shadowbroker/SKILL.md
@@ -37,7 +37,18 @@ SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET=your-hmac-secret-here
 ```
 
 The HMAC secret is found in ShadowBroker's **Connect OpenClaw** modal (AI Intel panel).
-All requests are automatically signed with HMAC-SHA256 (timestamp + nonce + body digest) for replay protection and request-body integrity binding.
+`SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET` is a shared signing secret, not a raw API key. Do not
+send it as `X-Admin-Key`, `Authorization: Bearer`, a query parameter, or any
+plain request header. The `ShadowBrokerClient` signs every direct request with
+`X-SB-Timestamp`, `X-SB-Nonce`, and `X-SB-Signature` using:
+
+```text
+HMAC-SHA256(secret, METHOD|path|timestamp|nonce|sha256(body))
+```
+
+For compatibility with older snippets, `SHADOWBROKER_KEY` is also accepted by
+the client as the same HMAC signing secret. Prefer `SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET`
+for new setups.
 
 ### SSE Stream (Preferred — Low-Latency Push)
 
diff --git a/openclaw-skills/shadowbroker/sb_query.py b/openclaw-skills/shadowbroker/sb_query.py
index b85a080..9e37704 100644
--- a/openclaw-skills/shadowbroker/sb_query.py
+++ b/openclaw-skills/shadowbroker/sb_query.py
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ the ShadowBroker OSINT platform.
 
 For local access (same machine), no authentication is needed.
 For remote access, set SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET to enable HMAC-signed requests.
+Older ShadowBroker UI snippets used SHADOWBROKER_KEY; this client still accepts
+that value as an HMAC signing secret for compatibility. Never send either value
+as a raw bearer token, X-Admin-Key, query parameter, or unsigned header.
 
 Usage (inside an OpenClaw skill):
     from sb_query import ShadowBrokerClient
@@ -43,11 +46,17 @@ class ShadowBrokerClient:
 
     Supports both local (no auth) and remote (HMAC-signed) connections.
     Set SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET env var to enable remote authentication.
+    SHADOWBROKER_KEY is accepted only as a backwards-compatible HMAC-secret
+    alias for older copy snippets.
     """
 
     def __init__(self, base_url: str = SB_BASE, hmac_secret: str = ""):
         self.base = base_url.rstrip("/")
-        self._hmac_secret = hmac_secret or os.environ.get("SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET", "")
+        self._hmac_secret = (
+            hmac_secret
+            or os.environ.get("SHADOWBROKER_HMAC_SECRET", "")
+            or os.environ.get("SHADOWBROKER_KEY", "")
+        )
         self._client = None
         # Version tracking for incremental updates
         self._last_data_version: int | None = None